You select 40 kg on one cable station and 40 kg on another. The effort feels different. Before you rewrite your training log, check the pulley ratio and the outlet you are using.
A stack label is useful for tracking the same setup over time. It is less useful as a direct comparison between different cable systems. Here is how to read the equipment specification and keep a log you can trust.
What 1:1 and 2:1 mean
Using the convention in the examples below, a 1:1 system produces nominal handle resistance equal to the selected stack mass. A 2:1 system produces roughly half that resistance at one handle, with twice the handle travel relative to the stack movement. These are idealised relationships; friction and the machine’s construction affect what you feel. Source: REP’s explanation of pulley ratios.
| Specified system | Nominal resistance at one handle | Handle travel for 10 cm of stack travel |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | 40 kg equivalent | 10 cm |
| 2:1 | 20 kg equivalent | 20 cm |
The table explains a relationship, not a calibration procedure. Check whether your machine labels stack mass or effective resistance, and read the manufacturer’s definition of its ratio. Do not halve a label that already gives the resistance at the handle.
Check the outlet, even on the same ATLETICA rack
The R8 Bradley Medium configuration linked here lists two 95 kg stacks and a 2:1 pulley ratio. ATLETICA’s R7 EVO Fighter page distinguishes its 2:1 dual cables from an optional 1:1 lat pulldown and rowing unit. One rack can therefore offer outlets with different ratios. R8 Bradley specifications; R7 EVO Fighter specifications.
Those are specific configurations, not a rule for every R7 or R8. Check the manual and specification for the version in your room. Product names and available options can change.
Do not infer the ratio by counting the visible wheels. Some pulleys redirect the cable while others change the mechanical advantage. The manufacturer’s description of the cable route and intended outlet is the useful reference.
Two cables do not automatically mean one doubled number
Two independent stacks let you load each side separately. For a movement using both sides, record enough detail to know whether the number means each stack, each handle or a combined amount. “20 kg each side” is more useful than an unexplained “40 kg”.
A manufacturer may provide a specific connector for combining outlets. That does not make combining cables a universal option. Use only a connection method documented for your machine; the existence of two handles is not an instruction to link them.
Before choosing movements, check which cable positions and attachments your setup actually provides.
Choose one logging convention and keep it
For a personal log, recording the selected stack number is a practical convention because you can reproduce it next time. Record the exercise, outlet, repetitions and machine alongside it. If you prefer effective resistance, label that convention and use it consistently.
Example log entry: Single-arm cable row · home rack, left adjustable outlet · stack setting 30 kg · 10 repetitions per side.
This is a logging example, not a recommended working weight.
When you change gyms or cable outlets, treat the first session as a new comparison point. Keep the machine identity in the record instead of assuming a higher stack number proves you got stronger. Changing the handle, pulley height or body position also changes the exercise setup you are comparing.
Outlift records your working sets and keeps separate gym setups. This guide does not claim that it automatically converts every machine’s stack setting into measured handle force. Check the exercise’s weight convention before entering values.
Compare repeatable sessions
Your log answers a more useful question when the conditions stay clear: what did you complete on this exercise, with this equipment? More repetitions at the same recorded load may be meaningful; a bigger number on a different machine needs context.
Keep a few familiar movements in your weekly plan so you have sessions worth comparing. You do not need to solve the mechanics of every machine before training. You need to know which setup you used and what the recorded weight means.
Should I divide every cable weight by two?
The ratio may differ between machines or outlets, and a label may already describe effective resistance. Use the specification for your equipment rather than a blanket conversion.